UFC Fight Night 66: Preliminary Card Predictions
Our stretch of UFC events continues this weekend, as the company makes its premiere in the Philippines.
UFC Fight Night 66 will be headlined by previous champions, as former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber moves back up to 145 pounds to meet former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. It's an anticipated bout that should not only be competitive but fun to watch.
This card features other big names, including former Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi, soon-to-be-retired Mark Munoz and several others who should draw big attention. Before that, though, we have the prelims.
Our time in Australia last weekend was not a fruitful one, as a dismal 3-5 record plagued an overall poor showing in the predictions. We hope to bounce back here, as picks have been wildly inconsistent this year.
Here are the prelim predictions for this card.
2015 Riley's Record: 54-35
Last Event: UFC Fight Night 65 (3-5)
Nolan Ticman vs. Zhikui Yao
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Kicking the card off are the flyweights, as The Ultimate Fighter: China vet Zhikui Yao looks to get his first UFC win over American Nolan Ticman.
Yao is a grinder who has put in some time on his striking to solid results. He is just 1-2 in his pro career but showed promise on TUF China in how much he got better on the show.
He made his UFC debut in August of last year in Macau, dropping a split decision to Royston Wee. He looked better in the loss than Wee looked in the win, which likely earned Yao this second chance.
As for Ticman, he is a striker with Kings MMA. Like Yao, he is dropping to flyweight for this fight, where Ticman hopes to bring his knockout power and underrated ground skills.
His UFC debut came in a late-notice fight that was thrown on the UFC Maine card. There, Frankie Saenz outwrestled him en route to a decision win.
Both men are 0-1 in the UFC and likely looking to spare their jobs with a win in this bout.
The talent pool in China right now is shallow at best, and Yao isn't even in the top tier of that. Ticman should batter him en route to a finish.
Prediction: Ticman def. Yao via TKO
Roldan Sangcha-an vs. Jon Delos Reyes
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We stick in the flyweight division for our next match, as the Philippines' own Roldan Sangcha-an looks to defend his home country against Jon delos Reyes.
Fighting out of Guam, Delos Reyes is an aggressive striker who is constantly moving forward and looking for the highlight finish. He has only gone to a decision once, showing that he either gets the kill or goes out on his shield.
He has been unsuccessful in the UFC thus far in two outings. After a strong start against Dustin Kimura, he was submitted later in the first round, which he followed up with a knockout loss to Kyoji Horiguchi in his sophomore outing.
As for Sangcha-an, he is similarly a striker, though he does have some submissions in his arsenal. He has strong kicks and crisp punching, though he is not nearly as aggressive as the always-moving-forward Delos Reyes.
His UFC debut was unsuccessful against Richie Vaculik, who outhustled him to a unanimous decision. He looks to potentially save his job here, as the loser of this bout could find himself in the unemployment line.
This could be an early candidate for Fight of the Night, as both men are exciting and match up well. While I tend to lean toward Delos Reyes because he is reckless and can end things in a hurry, Sangcha-an is the better choice in front of his come country.
Prediction: Sangcha-an def. Delos Reyes via submission
Guangyou Ning vs. Royston Wee
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The bantamweights are scheduled to meet up next, as Singapore's Royston Wee looks to take out TUF China winner Guangyou Ning.
Ning is a headhunter who throws huge punches at his opponent's jaw in hopes to score a knockout. It was a formula that aided him on TUF and even before that in his career.
His last fight was his UFC debut, where he won TUF China with a decision win over Jianping Yang. However, that bout was critically panned, and Ning did not show nearly enough skill to warrant any confidence in this bout.
Wee is a grappler who shoots for takedowns and holds guys on the mat for long periods of time. The undefeated fighter does have some submissions in his arsenal, but he has yet to utilize them in the UFC at this point.
During his UFC tenure, Wee is 2-0 with decisions over Dave Galera and Zhikui Yao. In both, he grinded his way to a decision, though fans eventually got restless in both bouts.
Wee is a wet blanket and will expose Ning's ground game, which hasn't looked peachy as of yet. It won't be the most entertaining affair, but it will keep Wee undefeated.
Prediction: Wee def. Ning via decision
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Jianliang Li vs. Dhiego Lima
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Moving on, we head to the welterweight division, where Chinese standout Jianliang Li takes on scrappy veteran Dhiego Lima.
Lima is a well-traveled vet who has been all over the MMA circuit taking on big names. He is more known for his jiu-jitsu skills, though he is well-rounded enough to show off his striking from bout to bout.
He has had his ups and downs in the UFC thus far, going 1-2 in the company. Though he did defeat Jorge Oliveira in his sophomore outing, both Eddie Gordon and Tim Means knocked him out in his tenure with the company.
Then there's Li, whose nickname "The Leech" is a great moniker. He is a grinder who looks for clinches and takedowns often, as his submission base is his strength.
He is 1-1 in the UFC thus far, besting David Michaud in his debut before getting outpointed by Nordine Taleb in his follow-up bout. He will need to achieve top position and bully Lima if he wants any chance of success here.
Li has proved to be tough as nails since coming to the UFC, but his skills aren't quite on par with that of Lima. For that reason, Lima should handle the Chinese fighter wherever the fight is conducted.
Prediction: Lima def. Li via decision
Lipeng Zhang vs. Kajan Johnson
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The lightweights report to the Octagon next, as TUF China winner Lipeng Zhang looks to hand Canadian Kajan Johnson his walking papers from the UFC.
Johnson is a well-traveled veteran who has been in more than 30 pro bouts in his time. He is well-rounded, though his chin is suspect, and he would prefer to have things on the ground.
He was a cast member of TUF Nations, where he bested Brendan O'Reilly before Chad Laprise knocked him out of the tournament with extreme prejudice. He got another shot with the company at UFC 174, where he again fell in brutal fashion at the hands of Tae Hyun Bang.
As for Zhang, he is an ever-improving fighter who shocked many when he bested Wang Sai for the TUF China title. He is a grinder in his own right, combining that with a tough-as-nails, never-quit attitude.
After beating Sai, he won a lopsided decision over the aforementioned O'Reilly. However, his momentum ended in his last bout, when a scrappy Chris Wade dominated him on the ground.
It's almost hard for me to overlook Zhang, seeing his drastic improvements and ability. However, Johnson is a scrappy vet and has faced tougher opposition, which is why he should snag a victory here.
Prediction: Johnson def. Zhang via decision
Tae Hyun Bang vs. Jon Tuck
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Capping off the prelims will be a lightweight contest, as Guam's Jon Tuck looks to stop the momentum of Korean buzz saw Tae Hyun Bang.
Bang is a striker with heavy hands and a sturdy chin. He is a beast for his size who cuts a lot of weight, which means his cardio can be suspect.
The bruiser is 1-1 in the UFC to this point. After getting dismantled by Mairbek Taisumov in his UFC debut, he came back with a highlight-reel knockout of Kajan Johnson in Canada.
As for Tuck, the MMA Lab rep is a top-game ground fighter who primarily uses his striking to close distance on opponents. He is also strong like Bang, though one would argue he is more athletic than his Korean counterpart.
He has shuffled wins and losses in the UFC thus far. Despite decision losses to Kevin Lee and Norman Parke, Tuck has bested Tiequan Zhang and brutally finished Jake Lindsey.
Bang is a big lightweight with power for days, which is why he could end this in one strike. However, Tuck is tenacious and can wear on opponents, which is why he will pull off upset.
Prediction: Tuck def. Bang via decision
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